Aid Applications Research Articles

An Exploratory Study Testing Environmental Wayfinding Aids as an Intervention for Children With Autism.

This exploratory mixed methods experiment aimed to determine whether the application of wayfinding aids (colored doors, shapes on the floor, and signage) as an intervention could help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) find their way to a destination to promote independence. Several individuals with ASD have described the difficulties they experienced finding their way in the environment. This is especially relevant to complex environments like healthcare. Participants with ASD aged 8-11 (n = 9) were randomly assigned to control or treatment groups. The test location was an empty school corridor unfamiliar to participants. Each participant was shown the way to a destination using a script pointing out existing cues (control group) or applied wayfinding aids (treatment group). Participants were taken back to the start and then asked to lead the way to the destination. Afterward, they were interviewed about their experience. Data collection included observation, behavioral mapping, and video recording. The variable of wayfinding scripts helped all participants find their way to the destination, but those in the treatment group found their way directly compared to 75% of the control group. Wayfinding aids made the environment more memorable to those in the treatment group. Some children were distracted by environmental stimuli, and some noticed surprising elements that helped them wayfind. Study results suggest that wayfinding instruction could be used as an intervention in environments with and without the application of wayfinding aids. This needs further testing in other environments. Issues included recruitment and random assignment.

High correlation between inner and outer glenoid circle diameters and its clinical relevance.

The majority of methods for measuring glenoid bone loss in shoulder instability use the best-fit circle following the inferior glenoid rim. However, there is no precise method on how to draw this circle, particularly in case of a missing rim segment. Defining the radius is a source of substantial error. It was hypothesized that there is a relationship between the best-fit inferior circle (inner circle), defined by Sugaya, and the circle tangent to the supra- and infra-glenoid tubercles (outer circle), defined by Itoi, thus allowing a more consistent appreciation of the paleo-glenoid. Ninety-five normal dry scapulae were examined. The specimens were digitally photographed obtaining perpendicular images of the glenoid cavity. Using HOROS® imaging software, a best-fit inferior circle (inner circle) and a second circle fitting the most inferior and superior points of the glenoid (outer circle) were drawn by two investigators. The diameters and areas of the circles were recorded. Two-way random-effects intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to measure intra- and inter-observer agreement. A Bayesian measurement-error regression model was used to determine the relationship between outer and inner circle measurements. The mean glenoid height was 35.1mm and the glenoid width 25.6mm. The mean diameter of the outer circle was 35.7 ± 4.2mm and the mean diameter of the inner circle was 26.8 ± 3.2mm. ICC showed excellent inter- and intra-observer agreement for both the outer circle diameter (ICC ≥ 0.95) and inner circle diameter (ICC ≥ 0.93). The two diameters demonstrated a very strong significant Pearson correlation (0.92, p < 0.001) and the regression showed excellent model fit R2 = 0.87. The areas of the two circles were also highly and significantly correlated (r = 0.94; p < 0.001). The ratio of inner circle to outer diameters was 0.74. There is a strong correlation between the inner and outer glenoid circle diameters. This study sets the base for the use the combined outer and inner circle and its ratio to better appreciate the paleo-glenoid morphology and thus obtain a more reliable bone loss estimation. Application of this method aids in a more reliable estimation bone loss with potential benefit in surgical decision-making.

Characterisation of Anode Morphology Evolution in Zinc-Air Batteries

With the urgent need to move away from fossil fuels towards more sustainable technologies, alternative battery technologies are needed to alleviate the existing supply and safety concerns associated with Li-ion batteries1. Metal-air batteries are one such alternative that hold promise thanks to their high theoretical specific energies2. Whilst zinc-air batteries have one of the lowest theoretical specific energies (~1350 Wh kg-1 for zinc-air versus 5200 Wh kg-1 for Li-air2), zinc is an abundant element and there are few safety concerns associated with this type of battery. Furthermore, the theoretical specific energy of a zinc-air cell is still around three times higher than Li-ion (upwards of 270 Wh kg-1)3. Currently, primary zinc-air cells are commercialised for application in hearing aids, but the commercialisation of secondary cells is still limited by poor cycle lifetimes and degradation of the anode4.Thus, alongside the need to develop better bifunctional catalysts, improvements need to be made to the anode to avoid dendrite formation and improve the reversibility between zinc and zinc oxide (ZnO) during cycling; there is significant volume expansion and morphology change during reaction from zinc to ZnO. In order to visualise the changes occurring in zinc-air battery electrodes, X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been used in a number of studies5-7. It is non-destructive and internal features of the sample can be visualised and measured without the need to open the sample. This allows for time-resolved quantification of changes occurring to the various phases within zinc-air cells, like zinc or ZnO.In this work, we explore the morphologies of different anode electrode types, including foils, free-standing electrodes and slurries, to highlight the various existing anode design concepts for secondary zinc-air cells. Imaging methods, including X-ray CT and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), are used to visualise the structure of these electrodes, and quantitative analysis allows for the morphology to be correlated to their electrochemical performance. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different electrode types and, finally, share our perspectives on the future of anode design for zinc-air cells. References 1Y. Hau, X. Liu, S. Zhou, Y. Huang, H. Ling and S. Yang, Resour. Conserv. Recycl., 2021, 168, 105249. 2M. A. Rahman, X. Wang and C. Wen, J. Electrochem. Soc., 2013, 160, A1759-A1771. 3J. -S. Lee, S. Tai Kim, R. Cao, N. -S. Choi, M. Liu, K. T. Lee and J. Cho, Adv. Energy Mater., 2011, 1, 34-50. 4J. Zhang, Q. Zhou, Y. Tang, L. Zhang and Y. Li, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 8924-8929. 5T. Arlt, D. Schröder, U. Krewer and I. Manke, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys, 2014, 16, 22273-22280. 6J. Hack, D. Patel, J. J. Bailey, F. Iacoviello, P. R. Shearing and D. J. L. Brett, J. Phys: Mater., https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7639/ac3f9a. 7B. Bozzini, C. Mele, A. Veneziano, N. Sodini, G. Lanzafame, A. Taurino and L. Mancini, ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 2020, 3, 4931-4940. Figure 1

Application of patient decision aids in treatment selection of cardiac surgery patients: a scoping review

BackgroundThe choice of treatment is an unavoidable challenge faced in the day to day medical decision making pertaining to patients with organic heart disease. As a professional discipline, cardiac surgery focuses on creating and using the most advanced evidence-based patient decision aids (PtDAs) to achieve high-quality decision-making. ObjectivesTo describe the basic situation, influencing factors, and the outcome of indicators of PtDAs among cardiac surgery patients. MethodsSeven electronic databases were systematically searched for relevant reviews on the application of PtDAs among cardiac surgery patients. The methodological framework proposed by Arskey and O'Malley was used to guide the scoping review. The extracted data was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. ResultsAfter dual, blinded screening of titles and abstracts, 12 articles were included in the review. 10 were quantitative studies, 1 was a mixed study, 1 was a qualitative study. ConclusionsCompared with the burden of heart disease and the huge evidence base, the application of PtDAs in cardiac surgery is obviously insufficient. The published literature mainly provide information about the factors to be solved from the perspective of researchers, and also summarize obstacle factors. This is the basis for the application and construction of PtDAs in cardiac surgery patients.

Chemical topping improves the efficiency of spraying harvest aids using unmanned aerial vehicles in high-density cotton

The cotton defoliation strategy is highly appreciated in Xinjiang, where mechanical harvesting is limited by a large proportion of green leaves and unopened bolls at harvest due to an insufficient temperature sum. Because of a high plant density, the application of defoliants (harvest aids) by tractors is less efficient; thus, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for spraying harvest aids are becoming more and more popular. However, it is unknown if this method affects spraying quality and whether the spray is affected by the cotton plant type that was shaped by chemical topping. This study aims to address if chemical topping could enhance defoliation when harvest aids is sprayed using UAV. Field experiments were carried out in 2019 and 2020 in Alaer, Xinjiang, China. The topping treatments included manual topping (MT) as the control and chemical topping (CT) that inhibit apical growth of the stem by foliar application of mepiquat chloride (MC) at 90 (MC90), 180 (MC180), or 270 (MC270) g ha –1 in mid-July. The harvest aids was sprayed in mid-September using UAVs. The average droplet deposition and deposits of harvest aids within the canopy in CT and MT were not different in 2019. However, the average droplet deposition and deposits of CT were much higher than those of MT in 2020. Both droplet deposition and deposits decreased with canopy height, and the droplet distribution performance of CT was better than that of MT. The droplet deposition and deposits in the upper and middle canopy of CT were significantly higher than those of MT in 2020. At 21 days after harvest aids application, the number of leaves per plant in CT was significantly lower than that in MT, while there was no difference between the amounts of MC. CT did not affect boll opening. Moreover, the yield and quality were not affected by harvest aids application using UAVs and CT. We concluded that spraying harvest aids using UAVs combined with CT improved management efficiency and economic benefits by saving labor, without loss of cotton yield and quality. Our results demonstrate that applying harvest aids using UAVs in cotton with CT could improve the quality of defoliation and provide a reference for optimizing cotton managements globally.

Creation and application of war trauma treatment simulation software for first aid on the battlefield based on undeformed high-resolution sectional anatomical image (Chinese Visible Human dataset)

BackgroundEffective first aid on the battlefield is vital to minimize deaths caused by war trauma and improve combat effectiveness. However, it is difficult for junior medical students, which have relatively poor human anatomy knowledge and first aid experience. Therefore, we aim to create a treatment simulation software for war trauma, and to explore its application for first aid training.Methods This study is a quantitative post-positivist study using a survey for data collection. First, high-resolution, thin-sectional anatomical images (Chinese Visible Human (CVH) dataset) were used to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) wound models. Then, the simulation system and the corresponding interactive 3D-PDF, including 3D models, graphic explanation, and teaching videos, were built, and used for first aid training in army medical college. Finally, the interface, war trauma modules, and training effects were evaluated using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. All measurements are represented as mean and standard deviations. Moreover, free text comments from questionnaires were collected and aggregated.ResultsThe simulation software and interactive 3D-PDF were established. This included pressure hemostasis of the vertex, face, head-shoulder, shoulder-arm, upper forearm, lower limb, foot, and punctures of the cricothyroid membrane, pneumothorax, and marrow cavity. Seventy-eight medical students participated in the training and completed the questionnaire, including 66 junior college students and 12 graduate students. The results indicated that they were highly satisfied with the software (score: 4.64 ± 0.56). The systems were user-friendly (score: 4.40 ± 0.61) and easy to operate (score: 4.49 ± 0.68). The 3D models, knowledge of hemostasis, and puncture were accurate (scores: 4.41 ± 0.67, and 4.53 ± 0.69) and easily adopted (scores: 4.54 ± 0.635, and 4.40 ± 0.648). They provided information about hemostasis and puncture (all scores > 4.40), except for cricothyroid membrane puncture (scores: 4.39 ± 0.61), improved the learning enthusiasm of medical students (score: 4.55 ± 0.549), and increased learning interest (score: 4.54 ± 0.57).ConclusionOur software can effectively help medical students master first aid skills including hemostasis, cricothyroid membrane and bone marrow puncture, and its anatomy. This may also be used for soldiers and national first aid training.

Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 Disruptions for California College Students

This paper documents the experience of California college students in the midst of the pandemic as their academic and home lives were disrupted. The analysis relies on a survey sent to all financial aid applicants statewide. Survey respondents include nearly 100,000 students enrolled in both two-year and four-year postsecondary institutions. Results reveal multiple stressors strained the educational experience and trajectories of many students. These stressors were not evenly distributed. In particular, students from low-income backgrounds were more likely to face increased financial stress, additional home responsibilities, and difficulty accessing the online learning environment, when compared to their higher-income peers.

Perception of health care students towards lectures as a teaching and learning method in the COVID era - A multicentric cross-sectional study from India.

The sudden precipitation of the pandemic forced undergraduates to take refuge at home, deserting the campus. Consequently, the age-old classroom in person teaching-learning (T-L) method shifted and lessons had to be conducted online. In previous decades, archetypical classroom lectures survived a lot of criticism in the face of the quasi-passive nature of T-L methodology. There are very few studies that reflect undergraduate students' perceptions of lectures. This study aimed to evaluate undergraduate students' perceptions of lectures using an online questionnaire with 13 items, which was circulated to undergraduate students of medical, physiotherapy, and nursing courses in three settings at different locations of private and public health schools. There was a total of 877 responses. The surveyed students were in favor of lectures and considered them indispensable for undergraduate learning. They preferred it as a kind of organized learning through the teacher's own experiences. Our study suggests that it is not the 'lecture' that requires mending but possibly teachers require better training, application of effective audio-visual aids, and innovative techniques to sustain students' interest in the class.

Droplet distribution in cotton canopy using single-rotor and four-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used as the sprayers for low-volume pesticide application in recent years. Droplet distribution characteristics of UAV spraying in the cotton canopy have notable effect on the biological control efficacy of the targets and the defoliation efficiency of the harvest aids. In this work, the influences on droplet distribution in the cotton canopy with respect to the flight height, forward mode, and spraying volume were evaluated by conducting the field trials during two cotton growth stages in 2020, respectively. The first field trial was performed in the cotton flowering stage and the second one was conducted in the early boll development stage. Two typical UAVs equipped with a single-rotor and four-rotor, respectively, were adopted as the spraying platforms in this work. Droplet deposition obtained by water sensitive papers (WSPs) clipped on the cotton leaves was considered as the observing metric. All cotton leaves in the canopy were divided into three groups (i.e., upper, middle, and bottom layers) in both trials. Furthermore, the cotton canopy was divided as eight directions to assess the droplet distribution in the canopy from different directions. The results showed that the droplet deposition varied remarkable between the treatments and in the same canopy within a treatment. The upper layer obtained higher droplet deposition than those of the middle and bottom layers and plants P4 to P8 accessed more droplets than those of the remaining sampling plants in most treatments of both trials for the two UAVs. The upper layer droplet deposition of the four-rotor UAV treatments outperformed that of the single-rotor treatments under the same operating parameters. The forward modes rarely affected the droplet distribution of the four-rotor UAV treatments but significantly influenced that of the single-rotor UAV treatments. For the single-rotor UAV spraying with “head forward”, the droplet distribution of the treatment with a flight height of 2 m was more even than that of the 1 and 3 m in the first trial. Under the same flight height, droplet deposition of the treatments with a spraying volume of 22.5 L ha−1 was remarkably higher than that of the 12 L ha−1 for both forward modes in the second trial. “Tail forward” of the single-rotor UAV treatment had better penetration at a flight height of 2 m in both trials. Therefore, for the single-rotor UAV, under a flight height of 2 m and a spraying volume of 22.5 L ha−1, “tail forward” was recommended for applying pesticides to control targets at the lower canopy and “head forward” was a better choice for harvest aid application. Four-rotor UAV was a suitable adoption for the harvest aid application and controlling the targets of the upper canopy. The results also indicate that the systemic pesticides are recommended for UAV spraying due to its uneven droplet distribution uniformity in the whole cotton canopy.

Efektifitas Media Audio Visual Terhadap Pengusaan Kosakata Siswa MI Al Ma’arif Samarinda

The background of this research is that Arabic students at SD Al-Maaref Nahdlatul Ulama 003 Samaranda are still experiencing difficulties in mastering vocabulary and lack of interesting teaching aids in vocabulary teaching materials. This study aims to determine the ability to master Arabic vocabulary before and after the application of audio-visual aids and to determine the effectiveness of using audio-visual aids in mastering Arabic vocabulary in sixth grade students of Al-Maaref Nahdlatul Ulama Elementary School. 003 Samarinda. This research is a quantitative research. The type used is a quasi-experimental design with an asymmetric control group design. The population in this study were students of class VI SD Al-Maaref Nahdlatul Ulama 003 Smaranda. The sampling technique was purposive sampling obtained by class IV C with a total of 28 students as the experimental group and class IV D with a total of 20 students as the control group. This study uses data collection techniques, namely observation, documentation and tests. The statistics used to prove the hypothesis of data analysis are paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test. From the research results it is clear from the results of the descriptive analysis that the average post-test score for the experimental group using audio-visual aids was 80.20 and for the control class was 75.25. The results of the hypothesis analysis using the paired sample T test in the experimental group obtained a t value of 11.079 &gt; 2.048 and a Sig (2-Tailed) value of 0.000, and an independent sample T test obtained a Sig (2-Tailed) value of 0.023 &lt;0.05. Thus, it can be concluded that the use of audio-visual aids is effective in increasing Arabic vocabulary mastery at SD Al-Maaref Nahdlatul Ulama 003 Smaranda. Keywords: effectiveness, audiovisual aids, vocabulary mastery.

The Importance of Agronomic Knowledge for Crop Detection by Sentinel-2 in the CAP Controls Framework: A Possible Rule-Based Classification Approach

Farmers are supported by European Union (EU) through contributions related to the common agricultural policy (CAP). To obtain grants, farmers have to apply every year according to the national/regional procedure that, presently, relies on the Geo-Spatial Aid Application (GSAA). To ensure the properness of applications, national/regional payment agencies (PA) operate random controls through in-field surveys. EU regulation n. 809/2014 has introduced a new approach to CAP controls based on Copernicus Sentinel-2 (S2) data. These are expected to better address PA checks on the field, suggesting eventual inconsistencies between satellite-based deductions and farmers’ declarations. Within this framework, this work proposed a hierarchical (HI) approach to the classification of crops (soya, corn, wheat, rice, and meadow) explicitly aimed at supporting CAP controls in agriculture, with special concerns about the Piemonte Region (NW Italy) agricultural situation. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a comparison is made between HI and other, more ordinary approaches. In particular, two algorithms were considered as references: the minimum distance (MD) and the random forest (RF). Tests were operated in a study area located in the southern part of the Vercelli province (Piemonte), which is mainly devoted to agriculture. Training and validation steps were performed for all the classification approaches (HI, MD, RF) using the same ground data. MD and RF were based on S2-derived NDVI image time series (TS) for the 2020 year. Differently, HI was built according to a rule-based approach developing according to the following steps: (a) TS standard deviation analysis in the time domain for meadows mapping; (b) MD classification of winter part of TS in the time domain for wheat detection; (c) MD classification of summer part of TS in the time domain for corn classification; (d) selection of a proper summer multi-spectral image (SMSI) useful for separating rice from soya with MD operated in the spectral domain. To separate crops of interest from other classes, MD-based classifications belonging to HI were thresholded by Otsu’s method. Overall accuracy for MD, RF, and HI were found to be 63%, 80%, and 89%, respectively. It is worth remarking that thanks to the SMSI-based approach of HI, a significant improvement was obtained in soya and rice classification.

Smart Heads-Up Display for Automobiles

Over the last two decades, lane recognition and tracking has been a hot topic in research, particularly in driver aid applications. It is also an essential method for imaginative, predictive, primarily based fully autonomous vehicle devices. The main thing is to avoid human error, increase safety, reduce road accidents, and save lives. Road lane detection, is a technique for detecting lanes and boundaries. This article explains how to detect and track lanes on the road in an efficient manner. The grayscale conversions are conducted after the camera has been calibrated. The image's edges are subsequently followed by the Canny edge detection method. After that, a region of interest(ROI) is selected. The shape of a triangle that appears in a given location is used to create ROIs. Unwanted are hidden by ROIs. The Hough transform method is then used to identify the accessible track labels. The method has high speed, high accuracy, good dependability, and outstanding robustness, according to the findings of the experiments.

Understanding the effect of 1-D dipping anisotropic conductivity on the response and interpretation of magnetotelluric data

SUMMARY Anisotropy in geological settings has been shown to be able to have a significant effect on data and to result in different interpretations when anisotropy is not taken into account. Recent work in inversion of electromagnetic data has emphasized the need for greater accuracy in interpretations where anisotropic effects dominate in data. We focus on how effectively inversions can extract anisotropic characteristics from magnetotelluric (MT) data for the 1-D dipping anisotropy case. We assess the sensitivity of 1-D MT data to each electrical conductivity component by examining the variability of polar plot eccentricity between analytic cases and by examining how sensitivity varies with increasing anisotropic dip angle. We apply a Tikhonov regularized inversion to both synthetic and experimental data using both an L2 norm and an Ekblom norm to approximate an L1 norm to identify the extent to which all model parameters associated with the 1-D dipping anisotropy case are recovered. We find that the application of an L1 norm aids in recovering the true depth extent and horizontal conductivities of an anisotropic layer when compared to the results from a standard L2 norm.

치매 환자의 보조기기 적용에 대한 체계적 고찰

Objective : To investigate the develeopment status of auxiliary device, Research trend, Characteristics of subjects and How to use it through the domestic and foreign studies of Assistive Devices for People with Dementia. Methods : In this study, 13 of studies were selected according to the selection criteria using RISS and Pubmed databases. As search terms, “assisted device” OR “assisted engineering” AND “dementia” were used. The studies to be analyzed were classified according to the research-based qualitative level analysis model. The study was summarized as PICO. Results : As a result of analyzing all studies, 8 out of 13 studies showed a positive effect on the emotional state of dementia patients(Feelings, Depression, Anxiety). The common effectiveness of robot-type assistive devices includes communication and positive emotional state and behavior promotion of the elderly with dementia. The use of Roar detector showed a significant difference in roaming behavior and anxiety reduction in dementia. AT-based devices were highly satisfied by users in terms of usability and usefulness. The digital assistance device had the effect of extending the ability of dementia patients to continue their home life. Conclusions : Dementia assisted device have positive effects in the areas of emotion, problem behavior, and communication. It can also be useful for the dementia who have difficulties in their basic daily lives. Through this study, a study that complements the limitations should be conducted. It will be an appropriate reference for applying auxiliary devices suitable for the characteristics of each elderly with dementia. Accordingly, intervention studies on the application of various dementia aids should be actively conducted.

Safeguards identification in computer aided HAZOP study by means of multilevel flow modelling

Multilevel Flow Modelling (MFM) was proposed as a knowledge representation method for Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOPs). MFM reasoning software can facilitate the cause-consequence analysis during the HAZOP analysis of whole life cycle of the plant. Recent studies have further confirmed that MFM offers the opportunity to redeploy the insights achieved by the HAZOP team to assist an operator dealing with an abnormal event. However, past studies into MFM-based HAZOP have been lacking in the specification of the principle. This principle makes MFM possible to determine safeguards for studied hypothetical events. This paper proposes such principle, which further increases the application of computer aids in HAZOP studies. The paper provides an analysis and classification of different types of safeguards on the functional level and introduces the safeguards into MFM methodology. It further presents an MFM-specific barrier function and its reasoning rules. The safeguard representation and reasoning transparency explicitly the relationship between suitable safeguards and hypothetical events given knowledge about the complex interdependencies between process design, equipment design, safety barriers and instrumentation. Based on the principles developed, an existing MFM model of a typical oil and gas process module is extended with explicit safety functions and used as an example for utilizing the specified principle for identification of safeguards. Potential safeguards for the process module are produced as the results.

0.4-V Bulk Driven Logarithmic Amplifier for Ultra-Low-Power Biomedical Applications

This paper presents a design and simulation of a low-noise, low-voltage, and low-power complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logarithmic amplifier for biomedical applications like digital hearing aid applications. The amplifier block of analog front end is used as a logarithmic amplifier, based on the progressive-compression parallel-summation architecture with DC offset cancelation by adding an off-chip coupling capacitor at each stage. A fully nontailed differential limiting amplifier with bulk-driven input pair is used to achieve larger voltage gain and low voltage operation. The proposed logarithmic amplifier was designed and simulated with process parameters variation in standard 0.18-[Formula: see text]m CMOS technology. The circuit operates with a single 0.4-V power supply voltage and dissipates 0.832[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]W. The simulated input dynamic range is about 60[Formula: see text]dB, which covers the input amplitudes ranging from 1[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V to 10[Formula: see text]mV, and the [Formula: see text]3-dB bandwidth of the amplifier is from 400[Formula: see text]Hz to 8.27[Formula: see text]kHz with simulated total input-referred noise is 0.731[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V@8 kHz.

The relationship between boll retention and defoliation of cotton at the fruiting site level

AbstractDefoliation is used to ease mechanical harvest and reduce lint staining of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Crop conditions are important determinants of its efficiency, but their effects have not been fully examined. We performed a multiple‐site field study during 2018–2020 (under 17 environmental conditions, covering three cotton regions in China) to explore the relationship between boll retention and defoliation at the fruiting site level. The hormonal defoliant, thidiazuron and boll opener, ethephon, were tank‐mixed or their combination product was used in this study. There was a positive Spearman ranking correlation between boll retention and defoliation in most experimental sites, with correlation coefficients (r) ranging from .275 to .725 at 7 d after application of harvest aids, suggesting that the leaves at fruiting sites bearing bolls dropped more easily than those at fruiting sites where abscission occurred. The positive correlation declined with the fruiting sites up the plant and away the mainstem. The differences in defoliation between fruiting sites with or without bolls were high (around 60–70%) at lower and/or inner positions, but low or negligible at upper and/or outer positions. It appears that the higher light intensity at upper and outer portions of plant may enhance leaf drop and thus reduce the dependence of defoliation on boll retention. In conclusion, a high boll retention would accelerate leaf removal, and may enhance leaf abscission on cloudy days or within more closed canopy.

Efficacy of cotton harvest aids applications with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and ground-based field sprayers – A case study comparison

The opportunity of using of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for applying harvest aids in ultra-low volumes (ULV) in cotton is an interesting perspective to overcome common problems associated with traditional ground-based applications like crop mechanical damage, yield losses and soil compaction. Moreover, as cotton harvest aids induce a prominent effect on the appearance of the crop, their efficacy can be conceptualized in wide scale remote sensing observations to provide general insights on the performance of UAV plant protection applications. The scope of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of UAV spraying in cotton in comparison with traditional ground-based applications. Two field trials were established for that scope and each field included eight treatments. Two treatments involved ground based, field sprayer applications with and without air assistance on the boom and six treatments, combinations of multirotor UAV applications involving two spray altitudes, (2 m and 3 m above the canopy), two spray volumes (16 l ha−1 and 10 l ha−1) and the addition of a spray adjuvant on the mixture. The efficacy of the alternative treatments was evaluated through UAV remote sensing and by ground truth measurements. The evaluated parameters were the differences obtained in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - NDVI and the Cotton Fiber Index – CFI, from time of spraying to harvest, the defoliation rate, the boll opening rate and the final yield. The results revealed that UAV sprayings were more efficient from both field sprayer applications (with and without air assistance). The higher efficacy was accompanied by an improvement in cotton yield. The best results were obtained from the low altitude, 2 m UAV operation. There were no clear differences between the high volume and the low volume UAV applications implying that the lower 10 l ha−1 volume might be sufficient and provide the potential to increase field capacity. The addition of the spray adjuvant was beneficial only when spraying was followed by rainfalls. The results of the present study implicate that UAV applications can support a wide range of plant protection and plant care applications in cotton.

Demand preferences for health management services in a population of older adults with visual impairment in China: a conjoint analysis

BackgroundVisual impairment (VI) seriously affects the quality of life of the older adults. It is important to formulate appropriate health management strategies for the older adults with VI to help delay the disease development and progression, and improve life quality. The aim of this study was to understand the demand preference for health management services of the older adults with VI, and to provide a reference for the development of future health management strategies in this population.MethodsThe conjoint analysis method was used to analyze demand preferences for health management services of the older adults with VI. 11 keywords were extracted after literature analyzed, 6 keywords were selected as the attributes of health management strategy after expert discussion and the level of each attribute was determined. Then 18 representative virtual health management strategies were formed by combination of different attribute levels through orthogonal design, and older adults with VI were asked to score. A total of 334 older adults with VI who attended the ophthalmology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University and the Fourth People's Hospital of Shenyang from February 27, 2021 to June 30, 2021were enrolled in this study by stratified sampling. Of the 334 included people, 80 had grade 1 VI, 80 had grade 2 VI, 84 had grade 3 VI, and 90 had grade 4 VI.ResultsThe relative importance of health management services ranked by older adults with VI was continuing care (24.033%), visual aid application (19.61%), health education (16.241%), preventive healthcare (15.667%), safety management (12.757%), and rehabilitation training (11.392%). The utility values of each level of continuing care, safety management and preventive healthcare were positive, whereas the utility values of each level of visual aid application, health education and rehabilitation training were negative. The relative importance and utility values of health management services were different for the older adults with different grades of VI.ConclusionsFrom the whole group, the older adults with VI have a higher preference for continuing care and a lower preference for rehabilitation training. The preference of the older adults with different grades of VI is different, so medical workers can formulate corresponding health management strategies according to their different demand preferences, and carry out hierarchical health management. Services that they preferred should be satisfied as much as possible in the health management strategy, while the reasons for the services with lower preference can be explored and make targeted improvement to meet the demand preferences of them.

“Take my word for it”: Group Texts and Testimonials Enhance State and Federal Student Aid Applications

As the cost of college continues to rise, it has become increasingly important for students to apply for financial aid. However, many students are unaware of the benefits of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We launched a field experiment with a non-profit organization to explore how both informational- and testimonial-type text messages impacted FAFSA application rates. 2,236 potential students were randomized into three groups: a control group that focused on reminders for upcoming deadlines, a treatment group that focused on benefits-framed messaging, and a second treatment group that combined the benefit messages with testimonial messages. Each group received 8 text messages from late September 2020 to early March 2021. Though both treatment groups were significantly better at motivating FAFSA applications than the control, the condition with benefits-framed and testimonial messages was the most effective. Participants in this condition were 87% more likely to make a FAFSA appointment than the control group.